Reality Check ✔️

Chapter Twenty Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

Devin

The Next Day...                                              

As I walked out of jail, my whole perspective changed I guess. As I passed the moving gate, I waited for the correctional officer to bring my car over to me.

"Dude, all my shit better be here," I said walking to the driver's seat.

"Yeah, whatever," he said.

It was nice seeing the damn sun from the other side again. It was hot as hell, but that's how the weather always was in Miami. As I drove around, I saw Kemarc and Toya on the corner at a Dominican spot making out in public. I hadn't been gone that long, but I could see that some things had changed, so I stopped in front of them and rolled down the window.

"Yo, the fuck ya'll doing?" I yelled.

"Aw, they let you out this early?" Kemarc asked walking over to the car window.

"Man, I wanted to leave early. I miss my life."

"Hey, Devin, wassup?" Toya asked.

"Wassup, Toya, have you seen Charisma?"

Charisma was the first person who came to mind. The whole time I lay in my bed in that cell, not a single minute passed where her face didn't appear.

Toya smiled and said, "Um yeah, we were actually heading back home." I looked at her puzzled. "Why are you smiling?" I looked over and Kemarc was smiling too. I wanted to know what was going on.

"Man, nothing, unlock the doors."

"So when are you and Charisma going to be official?" Toya asked.

We weren't dating. I mean, yes, we were having a child together, but we weren't dating.

"Ya'll really going to put me on the spot?" I asked.

"Hell yeah, you guys have been best friends for around four years now. There has to be sexual tension somewhere. I mean ya'll did fuck," Toya argued.

"We were both drunk at your party!"

"You want me to be real with you?" Toya asked as I looked at her through the mirror. She was putting lip gloss on.

"Alright, Toya, be real with your boy. I know you was with Kevin the whole time too."

She rolled her eyes and sat up straight as she looked at Kemarc. He just looked out the window not saying a word.

"Did I say something wrong or something?" I asked.

"Me and Kevin broke up." Tears started rolling down her face, and Kemarc turned back to her.

"You seriously going to cry about that nigga, for real? So these past few weeks haven't meant anything to you at all?" he questioned.

"I mean... I," she stuttered.

"You mean what?" he yelled, and I immediately stopped the car.

"Ay, it's fucking like this. I just got out of jail, and I would like to enjoy my freedom. Kemarc, you just got out of jail too, so try and remember that. Toya just broke up with a nigga that she been with for two years. Why did they break up? I don't know, but be grateful that she's with you now."

Both of them stayed quiet and just stared at each other. I waited for Kemarc to apologize, or we weren't going to move at all.

"I'm sorry, baby," he said to Toya as played with her nails.

"Toya," I yelled.

"What?"

"I said I'm sorry," Kemarc said.

"I forgive you."

Once I got to the house, the first thing I wanted to do was eat and sleep on Charisma's lap. As I got closer to the door, it smelled like some fresh ribs right off the grill. I put my key in the door and opened it and saw a bunch of people standing there.

"Surprise," they all yelled.

"Damn, thank you. Thank you," I said walking over to Charisma who was standing there in the middle of everybody. I walked over to her and gave her a hug.

"I like the party. Thank you," I told her.

"I think you're going to like this too."

She pulled me by the shirt and kissed me on my lips. Out of all the kisses that I got from Charisma, that one felt like it completed everything.

"So what does this mean?" I asked looking into her hazel eyes.

"I think this means we're finally official, right?"

"Yeah, I think so," I said giving her a hug. I couldn't believe that Charisma was my girl now.

"I got some more good news," she said smiling from ear to ear. Everybody got quiet and looked at us. "Well, I got the news from the doctor, and I didn't want to tell you until you came home. We're having a boy."

"Boyyyyy, more dick is going to be in the family," my cousin Byron said.

I looked over at the door as it opened, and I saw my dad with a woman clutched to his arm. I quickly pulled Charisma to the side.

"What is my dad doing here?"

"Come on," she said grabbing my hand as we walked to the door. She gave my dad a hug.

"This is my girlfriend Akira," my dad introduced introducing the strange woman. She was around 5'3 with green eyes, beautiful figure, and a nice smile. I could see why my dad was interested in her.

We all walked outside the patio, but I had no words. I wanted him to make his move first.

"Um, Akira, you think you could help me inside for a few minutes?" Charisma asked struggling to get up.

"Um, yeah," Akira said.

"Please talk to him."

As they both left, it was just me and him. After so many years, it was weird seeing him face to face.

"So why now?" I asked breaking the silence.

"What you mean?"

"Why now? You know how much shit I had to go through?" I snapped.

"Look, everything has an explanation," he said solemnly.

"This explanation better be good."

"You remember Uncle Jimmy, right?"

This was some long time ago shit, but I still remembered everyone's name back in Detroit, so I nodded my head.

"He was a drug dealer, and we ran or I ran into some wrong things with him. I had to move to Tennessee because if I stayed home with you guys, someone was going to get hurt."

I sat there wanting him to continue. "What about mom?"

"Let's go," he said.

"Where?"

"Your mother's house."

My...mothers...house?